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kellybelly1978 · 9 hours ago

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Swept Away: Season Two

Epilogue: Wild and Free

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Chapter Summary: It's honeymoon time!

Chapter Warnings: language, fluff, tw: mentions of prior miscarriage, smut (18+ MDNI), fingering, breeding kink, unprotected piv sex (duh, see prior tag), (a little?) rough sex, oral (f! and m!receiving), pussy pronouns, food and alcohol consumption, Joel can pick reader up, reader has hair, reader wears lingerie, light spanking

WC: 11.3K

A/N: Thank you to everyone who showed me so much enthusiasm and support for this story! I hope you enjoy their final chapter!

Series Masterlist

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Miller!

It's the first thing you saw when you walked into the sprawling estate in Santorini. Joel was behind you, directing the driver on where to put your bags. You had the stupidest grin on your face when you stepped closer to the banner, your eyes drifting over each letter time and time again.

Joel thanked the driver and handed him a folded bill before lifting his sunglasses from the bridge of his nose and looking around.

"Pretty nice," he said, smiling as you twirled around the massive foyer surrounded by two staircases that hugged each wall.

"Pretty nice?" you echoed, stopping in your tracks to face him with a frown. "This place is incredible."

Joel shrugged, shoved his hands in his pockets, and gave the place another once over. "Got a great view," he finally said.

You spun around and looked through the kitchen, where a glass wall gave way to a spectacular view of the Mediterranean Sea.

"Oh, my god," you breathed before running across the house so you could press your face against the window. It was unlike anything you'd ever seen before: endless, gorgeous blue water, dotted with pristine white sails from boats bobbing in the waves. The steep red cliffs bordering the sea were filled with bright white buildings, built stacked on top of each other as the landscape allowed. Some buildings were accented with royal blue roofs, others were flat and square, just like sugar cubes.

It felt like you were visiting an entirely different world.

"I don't think ten days is enough," you breathed, gaze still bouncing around excitedly. Then Joel's arm wrapped around your waist. His fingers splayed wide over your stomach as he pulled you back against his chest. He buried his face into the crook of your neck, breathing in deep the scent of your skin before puckering his lips to gently suck a spot on your throat.

"No, it ain't," he replied softly. His lips slowly dragged across your shoulder and you heard the bag he had been carrying drop to the floor so he could circle both arms protectively around your waist.

Your eyes fluttered closed and you tipped your head back.

"I'm getting the feeling we have two very different reasons for wanting to stay longer," you whispered. You reached behind you, sifting your fingers through his mussed curls with a sigh.

"Yeah? How so?"

At the same time, his left hand dropped to tug on the skirt of your dress, inching it up until your entire leg was exposed. You giggled but before you could come up with a witty reply, two thick fingers pressed firmly against your clit through your underwear, making you gasp back the words.

"Hm?" he teased, adoring the way your body obediently melted against him.

You swallowed and tightened your hold on his hair.

"I'm talking about— about seeing the city," you panted, hips rolling forward to match the slow pace of Joel's fingers over your panties. "An— And you're talking about— oh!"

You cried out, unable to finish your sentence as he slipped his middle finger inside of you.

"I'm talkin' 'bout what?" he goaded in your ear. His finger curled every time he pushed back inside, making your knees weak and your eyes roll. "Talkin' 'bout fuckin' my wife? Baby, if you thought I wasn't gonna spend every wakin' moment tryin' to get you pregnant, y'don't know me at all."

A second finger joined the first — his ring finger. You could feel the cool metal of his wedding band tapping against your opening every time he snapped his wrist. Your nails roughly dug into his scalp, the tension in your lower belly growing too hot and fast for you to consider if you were hurting him. He hissed under his breath but kept going, pumping his fingers in and out of you with one hand and holding you up with the other.

You brokenly whimpered his name and arched your back, desperate for release. Your ass pushed against the front of his pants and he groaned into your neck.

"Fuck," you whined when you felt how hard he was. "Fuck, Joel, just — just fuck me," you begged, but your eyes were screwed shut and your jaw hung open in bliss.

"Come for me first," he said, slapping the heel of his hand firmly against your clit every time his fingers entered you. Your whole body practically jumped whenever he made contact — you were close. "Open those pretty eyes, honey. Look out there — yeah, there you go." He sounded pleased when your eyes cracked open and you looked back out into the water. "Get a good look, 'cause I ain't lettin' you outta this house for long. Gonna — shit, you're so — gonna make sure we make a baby this time. Gonna be so full of my cum, you ain't gonna be able to walk right."

You gasped and yanked on his hair. He felt your stomach tighten beneath his arm and he smirked against your skin.

"Yeah, don't worry, darlin'. Ain't gotta do nothin' the whole time we're here 'cept lemme take care of you. Okay?"

You nodded dumbly, body jolting in his grip every time the loud smack of his palm against your clit echoed through the room.

"O-Okay," you slurred softly.

He growled and scraped his teeth against the side of your throat. There were fewer things in life Joel loved more than hearing you be so compliant and eager for him.

"Come f'me, baby," he told you between little bites to your neck. "C'mon, make your husband proud 'n let go."

A broken moan fell from your lips as you did what you were told. Your body jerked in his hold and you held onto his hair and arm for dear life as you rode out your climax. All the while, he murmured praise in your ear so the only thing you could hear were his sweet words and the sound of your pussy gushing around his fingers.

"Joel," you breathed, gasping pathetically for air in his arms. But he didn't answer. Instead, he withdrew his fingers rather abruptly, making you wince, but you soon forgot all about it when he scooped you up in his arms and carried you to the nearest piece of furniture he could fuck you on, which happened to be the dining room table.

"Spread 'em," he commanded after he laid you on top of the cherry tabletop. Afterwards, you would take note that the set looked extremely expensive and one of a kind — probably not something you should fuck on — but in the moment, neither of you cared. You widened your legs and hiked up your dress as Joel hastily tugged at his belt. His eyes were fixed on you in a way that sent a shiver down your spine — he looked crazed. His lips were parted, face flushed, eyes dark with need as his gaze flickered hungrily between your eyes and your glistening cunt.

"I ain't gonna be gentle," he warned when he finally pushed his pants and boxers down enough to free his cock. You wiggled your hips closer to the edge.

"Good."

Something flashed across his face for a second — a mix of adoration and animalistic need — before he grabbed your hip and lined himself up.

When he slammed into you, it stole every ounce of breath from your lungs. Your back arched off the table and your mouth hung open in a silent scream. Your fingers curled into tight fists at your sides but you fought through the sudden and rough intrusion so you could focus on Joel.

He was breathing heavily, like he had just ran a marathon. The veins in his neck bulged and his face looked hot — he blinked repeatedly as a strangled groan slithered up his throat and past his lips.

"So tight," he whined through clenched teeth. Then he withdrew his hips just to ram back into you with a grunt. You cursed and threw your head back, knocking it against the hard tabletop. He gave you a few more thrusts just like that — a slow withdraw followed by a deep plunge back inside your aching cunt — until he felt he gave you enough time to adjust. Then he started pounding into you at a steady clip so fast that he needed to press your hips down to keep your body from sliding up the table.

The discomfort was temporary and well worth it. It thrilled you to see him so desperate and filled with raw desire. He could tell, too. He could feel it in the way you fluttered around him, so warm and inviting, just fucking begging for him to fill you up.

You whimpered his name and spread your legs wider. It was almost too much to bear, watching him hunched over you like an animal, panting and sweating and cursing like his only purpose in life was to fuck you senseless. Heat coursed through your veins and made your face burn, or maybe it was the embarrassment you felt hearing the noises coming from your mouth with every violent jolt of his hips.

"God, look at you," he groaned. His grip on your waist tightened. "Takin' it so well, baby. Y'still with me?"

You could hear the smirk in his voice. You must have looked wrecked for him to sound so cocky, but you could hardly blame him. All you could offer up was a broken moan in response. Sweat had been collecting at your temples as your muscles began to seize up underneath him.

"Joel—" you gasped, but every harsh drag of his cock in and out of you left you breathless. It knocked your world sideways and had your legs quivering uncontrollably around his waist.

"You're so perfect, darlin'," he panted, "perfect little wife. Gonna make a perfect little mama next."

Tears burned your eyes, and it wasn't just from the rough snap of his hips against yours.

"Please," you begged, "please, Joel. I— I want it."

"I know y'do, baby, I know. Almost there... just— shit—"

A ragged groan ripped from his throat as he drove into you harder. Your hands clawed at his arms, desperate for something to hold onto.

"—Need you to come first," he growled. He watched the way your face twisted underneath him, fighting the flames burning inside you.

"It— it's so much, I... I can't," you cried with one tear trickling down to get lost in your hair. You forced your eyes open to plead with him, but his hand was already there, thumb rubbing firm circles over your clit without losing rhythm in his hips.

"You can," he rasped, but it wasn't until he saw that familiar look on your face — the one where your eyebrows raised up and your lips parted in a silent gasp — that he actually believed his own words.

You shattered around him a second later, your orgasm slamming into you just as hard as he had been. The blunt edge of your nails dug into his forearms, sending a sharp bolt of pain across his skin, but he didn't stop. He dutifully fucked you through it, watching your body convulse and fighting back his own release as you moaned his name so beautifully.

"So pretty," he muttered. You looked up at him, eyes heavy, unable to look away from the loose, sweaty curls bouncing against his forehead with every deep thrust. "S-So, so pretty when you come."

His chin dropped to watch the way his cock disappeared inside you, coated in your release. He bit his lower lip to stifle a groan at the sight, but then you whispered his name and his gaze snapped back up to you.

"You promised," you whimpered. He could hear the tension in your voice — you were too sensitive but you were trying to fight through it. "Give me what you promised, Joel," you added, eyebrows pinching together as his cock continued to split you open.

He nodded. "I will," he breathed, hips faltering their rhythm. He swallowed thickly and started to shift your tired body up and down on his cock. "I will. I'll— I'll give y— oh, fu-uck—"

A choked noise fell from his lips and a moment later, his body stilled. You sighed and closed your eyes when you felt his tell-tale warmth flooding your pussy. Your legs trembled against his sides, exhausted from being spread open wide and fucked within an inch of your life. He released your hips so he could grab ahold of each of your ankles, then slowly ground against you with a deep moan. You gasped at his coarse hairs rubbing against your clit, but you were too weak to push him away.

His mouth was on yours a moment later, pressing soft and tender kisses to your lips, bringing you back to life.

"Do you think it worked this time?" you mumbled.

"Maybe," he sighed, resting his forehead against your shoulder. With a soft noise, he pulled out of you, then quickly closed your legs. "Keep it all in there f'me."

You nodded, then winced when you shifted your sweaty back to unstick yourself from the table.

"Please tell me the bedroom is downstairs," you said. Joel chuckled and pushed himself up to stand with a grunt.

"I'll carry you."

You shook your head and tucked your knees to your chest.

"I'll walk. Just... gimme a minute."

Of course, the bedroom was upstairs. But you waited ten minutes to give his swimmers a fighting chance until you stood with Joel's help. Once you made it to the master bed, you just collapsed on top, still clad in your now wrinkled dress.

"I might sleep the rest of the day," you mumbled into the comforter. Your eyes were closed, but you could hear Joel moving around the room.

"Good. That's all you gotta do is exactly what you're doin'. Lemme take care of the rest."

You grinned and rolled onto your side just as he slipped through the doorway to go retrieve your things. You knew what he was really doing — he had said it countless times before you arrived. You were unable to wait til your honeymoon to start, and your failed attempts at trying for a baby for the last couple months since your beach wedding bothered you more than it should, so he was making it his mission to keep you as relaxed as possible after he read that stress could cause complications with conception.

When he returned with your bags, you were already chewing on your lower lip while studying the fertility app on your phone.

"Quit it," he scolded gently after putting your things in the closet.

"I know, I know," you sighed, closing the app and tossing your phone into the bedding.

"It's only been two months," he reminded you, sliding into bed.

"I know," you repeated, suddenly growing extremely interested in your nails. "I'm just worried after what happened."

What happened, meaning the miscarriage you ended up having after you returned from your first trip to Fiji. You didn't even know you were pregnant. Hell, you weren't even technically dating Joel back then. At the time, it didn't bother you too much. But it still managed to leave its mark on you, especially now that you were actively trying to have a baby.

"That was ages ago," he said softly. "And your doc said everythin' looks good. You're puttin' too much stress on yourself."

He was right. When you got your birth control removed after you returned from Fiji, your doctor had assured you once again that plenty of women have miscarriages and go on to have healthy babies.

"But it happened so fast the first time," you pouted, curling into his side for comfort.

"Last few months have been so crazy," he murmured into your hair. His knuckles dragged slowly up and down your arm, soothing you. "It'll happen when it's right."

You sighed and closed your eyes, having no choice but to believe him.

Contrary to what Joel had said on the day you arrived, he did actually allow you to get out of the house and explore the city. Obviously, you had never been to Greece before, so you wanted to see everything. Joel had said he had been once before many years prior, but it was for business so he didn't get to enjoy the country very much. You liked the idea of experiencing something new together, so you picked a few tourist-y things.

Liam had rustled up some plans for you before you left, leaving everything up to you for when you arrived. On his list, he had suggested checking out a charming little area called Megalochori. It wasn't very far from the house you were renting. Once you got down to the village itself and looked up, you could see the perimeter was dotted with mansions nestled in the red cliffs. While exploring the narrow streets, you came to find out the mansions, including the one where you were staying, used to be owned by wealthy wine merchants hundreds of years ago, although obviously updated several times over.

Vinsanto wine was what the town was known for, so you made sure to stop at one of the wineries to try it.

"Mm!" you exclaimed when the sweet wine coated your tongue. You raised your eyebrows at Joel, who looked rather impressed, as well.

"Not bad," he admitted, setting down his glass on the table. "Remind me to buy a case 'n have it sent back home 'fore we go."

You had been ushered out to a spot on the patio, overlooking the breathtaking mountains and sea below. The sun was beginning to dip around that time, taking with it the heat that had sweat dotting the back of your neck all afternoon.

"What time is it?" you asked. Joel raised his left arm to glance at his watch, then cursed.

"Shit. Never changed it from L.A. time," he muttered before searching for his phone. You smiled to yourself, eyes still stuck on the rather out of place accessory on his wrist. It wasn't exactly a Rolex, what with the dark green fabric band and black face, but Sarah had gifted it to him as a wedding present and he hadn't taken it off since.

"Almost seven," he announced after fishing out his phone. He placed it gently on the table and leaned back with a relaxed sigh. He draped one arm around the back of your chair, gaze still glued to the horizon, looking completely at ease.

"Not checking work?" you asked, hiding your smile behind your glass of wine.

"Nope. I'm on my honeymoon, baby." He dragged his eyes off the sea to look at you with a glimmer of mischief. "You're the only thing I'm gonna be focused on for the next week."

"Lucky me," you mused with a playful smile. A delicious looking charcuterie board was placed between you before Joel had a chance to respond with something undoubtably filthy and you suddenly realized how hungry you were.

"So," he began while drizzling some honey over a wedge of brie. "What else are we doin' tonight?"

"I thought we could check out the bell tower before the sun sets," you said, covering your mouth while you chewed.

"What 'bout the Oia Castle?"

"I wanted to visit that around sundown," you told him, "we can go a different day. It's supposed to have the best sunset in the entire world."

"Means there'll be a lot of people there." Joel spread a bit of soft cheese over some fresh bread and then held it out to feed you. You took it between your lips, eyelids fluttering at the richness on your tongue while Joel casually crossed his arm over his lap to hide his reaction.

"Is that a problem?" you asked once you swallowed. Joel shrugged and popped a date into his mouth.

"Just like to have you all to myself."

"You've had me all to yourself several times since we got here," you said, wiggling your eyebrows, making him laugh.

"Still ain't enough," he grinned.

"Good thing we have the rest of our lives, then." Your eyes dropped to look at the gold band wrapped around his finger, a sight that still thrilled you.

By the time you left the winery, it was dusk. The streets were quiet except for the occasional faint hum of music and laughter coming from open windows above you. Joel's hand never left yours as you strolled in silence, breathing in the salty night air. It was so peaceful and serene, you just wanted to keep walking. So, you did. You let Joel lead you through the winding roads, past small businesses that were dark with crooked signs on the door stating their hours, and underneath quaint stone bridges until you paused in front of a brick wall overlooking the sea.

"Wow," you breathed, dropping his hand so you could lean forward onto the wall. The sun had just set. The sky was painted with deep purples, oranges and pinks, the stunning colors reflecting over the water as the moon began to show brighter and brighter above you.

"We gotta come back here again one day," you murmured when Joel positioned himself behind you. His arms bracketed yours and his chin hooked around your shoulder, like he was trying to see the landscape through your eyes.

"Maybe I'll open a hotel here," he replied with a tender kiss behind your ear. His beard tickled and sent a wave of goosebumps across your skin.

"You just can't help but mix business with pleasure," you giggled when his tongue traced the shell of your ear.

"Ain't let me down yet," he replied with one more playful nip to your neck. He pushed off the wall and took a step back, leaving you craving his body heat. When you turned around, a tipsy smile stretching across your face, he had an arm outstretched. His fingers wiggled impatiently, searching for your own. You laced them together and let him tug you forward.

"C'mon. I'm tired," he murmured into your hair. You sighed, lingering for a moment with your face and your free hand pressed against his chest, then forced your heavy feet to move through the darkened streets, back towards the main road that led to the house.

You awoke later than usual the next morning. The time change hadn't quite caught up with you yet, but Joel always seemed to rise with the sun, no matter where he was because when you reached an arm out, hunting for his warmth, his side of the bed was disappointingly empty.

You blinked lazily a few times and yawned before rolling over and looking at the time. A dull ache between your thighs when you moved reminded you of all the ways Joel had taken you over the last few days, the memories filling you with a mix of pain and arousal. Somewhere on the other side of your bedroom door, you could hear Joel's voice talking on the phone. Curious, you slipped out of bed, pulling on Joel's undershirt from the day before, then made you way to the steps.

The two-story foyer made it so you could hear him much clearer before you even descended the stairs.

"...run some numbers, see what it'll look like... yeah. Just keep it between us. No need to get Ross all worked up over nothin'."

You frowned as you followed his voice, wondering why Joel was talking about the CFO of his company. When you found him, he was in the kitchen, phone pressed to his ear and leaning one hip against the counter with his back to you. He didn't hear you enter the room. As you padded softly across the floor, you could hear another man's tinny voice through the phone, but it was hard to make out what he was saying.

"Ain't no rush. When we get back, I'll set up a mee—"

You wrapped your arms around him from behind and his voice dropped before swirling around in surprise.

"Hey, I gotta go," he said suddenly into the phone. His dark eyes raked you up and down, ignoring the hard look you were giving him. "We'll talk when I'm back in the office."

He tore the phone from his ear like it burned him, then he placed it face down on the counter before circling his arms around you with a guilty smile.

"You promised no work," you scolded immediately.

"Sorry, darlin'. It was just one quick call 'n I thought you were sleepin'."

"I woke up all alone," you pouted. His brows pitched together, giving you a mock look of sympathy.

"Poor baby. You lookin' for some attention?"

His hands roamed down your sides to the hem of his shirt resting just beneath your ass.

"Need me to take care of you again?" he asked, only that time, his voice sounded deeper. It had warmth spreading between your legs, like your goddamn body was just hardwired to respond only to him. "You come out here wearin' only my shirt, knowin' how fuckin' hard that makes me?"

Your giggle was cut short when his big hands grabbed roughly at your ass.

"Joel—" you gasped when his lips latched onto your throat and he pushed you up against the counter. For a second, your brain went fuzzy as he ground his hips against you, making it crystal clear that he hadn't been joking when you felt him through his gym shorts. "Joel, w-wait, seriously. I... I think I need a break."

He pulled away from you immediately, giving you a look of concern.

"What's wrong?"

The mood shifted in the blink of an eye. His greedy touch changed to one much softer as he examined you.

"Nothing! God, nothing, sorry," you laughed, feeling embarrassed when you admitted, "I'm just... I'm a little sore."

Your face burned at the confession, but Joel only looked at you with a tenderness that made your chest clench.

"Shit," he cursed, dragging a hand through his already sleep mussed hair. You could tell by the look on his face that he felt terrible.

"No, it's fine," you assured him, cupping his jaw with both hands. You gave him a crooked grin and shrugged. "I guess I underestimated your stamina, Mr. Miller."

Joel chuckled and leaned forward, resting your foreheads together. "I ain't messin' 'round when it comes to makin' a baby with you, sweetheart."

You scratched gently at his beard, smiling when he closed the gap between you and pressed your lips together.

"Tell you what," he said softly, only pulling back a few inches. "Why don't we stay here today. Let's relax by the pool, order some food from that place nearby, and rest. Maybe later, we can take a little walk. Want you to get your strength back up 'cause I ain't nowhere near done with you yet."

"I sure hope not," you laughed, "we're still here five more days."

"And I wanna keep you so full'a me in those five days that there ain't no way it don't stick."

As sore as you were, you still had wetness collecting between your legs. It didn't matter. Your body wanted him so badly, especially when he spoke like that, it seemed to go against all logic.

He must have noticed the way you pressed your thighs together because a mischievous smile stretched across his face.

A second later, Joel fell to his knees. He was pushing his shirt up your hips, exposing your panties, when you gasped and grabbed his hair.

"W-What are you doing?"

He glanced up at you like you were crazy for asking. "Kissin' it better."

You whispered his name with a laugh, about to insist he didn't need to, but your panties were tugged to the floor and your left leg was slung over his shoulder before you had a chance to formulate a thought.

The first wet lick through your pussy felt like balm on a wound and all your protests were quickly forgotten. Your head tipped back with a shudder and you succumbed to his unyielding adoration because he was right — it did feel better. You moaned and grabbed onto his hair a little tighter, relishing in the way his tongue slid through you, so effortless and smooth.

"She's hurtin', but she's so goddamn wet f'me," he grumbled against you. You whimpered and rocked your hips forward, searching for some relief. He gave you what you wanted without hesitation — mouth sucking messily against your cunt, spreading your arousal with each wet kiss. The sound had your face burning and your nipples tightening underneath his shirt.

"Fu-uck, Joel," you whined through clenched teeth. His tongue flicked sharply over your clit and you cried out, body jolting violently. You hissed at the bruise no doubt blooming on your spine from the edge of the counter, but Joel kept going, flattening his tongue with a moan and slowly licking up the entire length of your slit.

"Feel good?" he gasped, mouth slick and shoulders rising and falling in rhythm with his short breaths. Before you could answer, he was on you again, dragging his strong tongue through your swollen cunt. Your face twisted up, the pleasure too intense but too fucking good to resist.

"Yes," you panted. "Yes, p-please... don't stop."

He chuckled darkly at the pathetic whine to your voice and out of the corner of your eye, you spotted him drop an arm between his legs to palm his erection. He groaned and rolled his eyes, still lapping greedily at your center while rubbing the outside of his shorts.

The sight nearly sent you right over the edge.

With his free hand, Joel spread your legs a little wider. You were standing on one shaky leg, already on your tiptoes. He felt the tremble in your thighs and pressed his face harder against your core. It was to help brace you, but the harsh friction from his beard and the messy licks of his tongue had you shouting curses and rutting weakly against his face.

He muffled encouragement between your thighs then your gaze fell just in time to watch him slip his hand inside his gym shorts to pull at his cock. You couldn't look away — and the wrecked look on his soaked face while he furiously stroked himself did you in.

You nearly folded over from the force of your orgasm, but luckily you gripped the counter behind you for dear life. Through heavy lidded eyes, you rode out your climax while watching the way he jerked himself off on his knees with his lips still tightly suctioned to your cunt. It was hypnotic and powerful and you fucking prayed he would do it again just like that one day because once wasn't enough.

"Get up here," you panted, throat raw. He obeyed, abandoning his post to stand and seal his lips hungrily over yours. Between your bodies, you could feel his movements, still working himself over while plunging his tongue into your mouth, giving you a taste of your own release.

You tore yourself away, stomach clenching at the desperate noise that came from his throat, and hurriedly pushed down his shorts. When his cock sprung free, leaking and heavy over the elastic band, you began to lower yourself to your knees.

"N-No," he stammered, "up here, baby."

You didn't feel like arguing. So instead, you replaced his hand with your own and began to slide your fist up and down his smooth, hard cock while he groaned into your mouth.

"I'm gonna come," he whimpered, hips chasing the snap of your wrist. You nodded, breathing heavy, and began to gently squeeze the head of his cock every time your hand slid up. But just when you thought you would be cleaning up a mess all over your hand, he ripped your arm away and flipped you around so your palms smacked loudly against the marble countertops.

"Hips, c'mon," he urged, desperation dripping from his voice. You didn't even think, you just did as you were told — you lifted your hips and spread your legs. "I'm just gonna give you the tip, baby," he assured you breathlessly while one hand held your waist and the other lined himself up with your entrance. "Can't let — shit—" He gasped when he slipped into your pussy, your wetness and warmth welcoming him despite the burn that still lingered deep inside. "Can't let it go to — go to waste," he managed to grit out while giving you very weak, shallow thrusts. It was just the head of his cock, but it still had your eyes watering and your forehead dropping to the cool counter between your hands.

A moment later, he grabbed your hips with both hands and let out a ragged groan, spilling his seed inside you while fighting the urge to slam his entire length into your wet heat.

"Fuckfuckfuck," he chanted behind you. You whimpered and tilted your head to the side, pressing your cheek to the marble as you waited for him to finish. With one final gasp, he fell forward and wrapped his arms around your middle. Your muscles relaxed and you closed your eyes, listening to the way your breaths synchronized in silence.

One of Joel's hands dipped below the shirt you were wearing and spread wide over your stomach, wordlessly saying what you were thinking: please work.

"Did good, baby," he finally said, voice cracking a bit. His fingers drifted gently over the skin below your belly button and lingered for a moment more before he sighed and forced himself to stand. "You ready?"

"Mhm," you hummed, then winced when he withdrew his cock from between your legs. With your eyes still closed, you felt him crouch to the ground and slip your panties back on, one leg at a time, before pressing a sweet kiss to your sweaty temple.

"Let's clean up, then spend the rest of the day by the pool."

You nodded and pushed yourself off the counter. Joel tucked you under his arm and led you slowly back to the stairs so you could shower and get ready for the day, with the promise of a hot breakfast and coffee when you were done.

You had to hand it to him — he really stuck to his promise of taking care of your every need while you were there.

"Where are we?" you asked, scrunching up your nose as you looked around after stepping out of the car.

"Still in Megalochori. Just further south," Joel told you. He took your hand, tipped the driver, and began to lead you down a street filled with vendors.

"Are we just going for a walk?"

Joel shrugged but he had a sly look on his face he was trying to hide. You raised an eyebrow and tugged on his hand, making him skid to a halt.

"Where are you taking me, Miller?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Alright. Don't be pissed," he began, making you instantly narrow your eyes. "I just wanted to walk by this one property up for sale."

"Joel!" you scolded, dropping his hand to cross your arms tightly over your chest. The call he took earlier that morning suddenly made sense. "You said no working!"

"I — it's just —"

He groaned and tossed his arms in the air.

"I just wanna walk by it. That's it. I won't talk 'bout it the rest of the time we're here, I promise."

"Why do we need to walk by it?" you pressed, still feeling slightly dejected that he was thinking about work on your honeymoon. However, deep down, you knew the man you married. He loved his work. And the look he was giving you in the middle of the street in that moment looked so much like the way he looked when he told you about Fiji for the first time.

"I wanna just see if there's somethin' wrong with it," he told you innocently. "If the location is good, if it's accessible and has a nice view. Tryin' to figure out why it's been vacant for two years."

You tapped your foot and sighed dramatically. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth but he held it back, waiting for your permission to break his promise.

"Fine," you huffed, dropping your arms to your sides. "But after this, we don't talk about it for the rest of the trip. No phone calls, no emails... nothing. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," he grinned.

"And I want ice cream."

"Anythin' else?"

You thought about it for a moment, gaze drifting around the bustling street. Then you spotted a vendor in the distance selling what appeared to be wind chimes, but it was what they were made of that had you gasping and pointing.

"And one of those!"

Joel followed your finger, brows furrowed as he tried to figure out what you were looking at to no avail.

"What?" he asked, but you already snatched up his hand and dragged him halfway down the street. When you got a little closer and he saw the wind chimes made of colorful seashells, it clicked.

"Baby, those are fake," he murmured in your ear so the merchant couldn't overhear. You just grinned and continued to browse until you found one you liked and picked it up.

"But they're pink," you said with a pout, turning so he could look it over. He picked up one of the shells between two fingers and made a face.

"They painted 'em pink. It's tacky."

"Still cute," you insisted. He stared you down for a moment but couldn't resist the way you were bouncing excitedly from foot to foot.

"Fine," he grumbled, pulling out his wallet. You squealed and gave the wind chime to the older man behind the counter so he could wrap it up. While you were waiting, you spotted a gorgeous sapphire necklace on a thick black string that you decided at the last minute to get for Sarah.

"Where're you gonna put that thing?" Joel asked once you had paid and walked a safe distance down the street, out of earshot.

You shrugged. "I'll find a spot."

He tossed an arm around your shoulders and kissed the top of your head, unable to deny the way you always managed to make him smile, even if it was over some cheap plastic decoration that happened to remind you of something you shared together.

"C'mon. Hotel ain't that far, 'bout a ten minute walk."

Joel carried the bag for you as you walked side by side down the narrow street filled with vendors. When the road came to an end, he steered you left, passing by a café and a lively looking restaurant that appeared to be kicking into high gear for the nighttime crowd.

"It's cute here," you admitted, mentally clocking the various designer stores lining the streets the more south you walked.

"Great view, too," Joel said right when you finally stepped out of the main cluster of town and into the open air. You gasped at the sudden sea breeze that hit you now that there weren't any buildings to block it, and turned to admire the sparkling water and beach below.

"Wow," you breathed, still taken aback by how stunning the entire country was.

"It's right up here," Joel told you, pointing to a bend in the road. When you rounded the corner, you were met with a dark, run-down building sitting amongst an unkept landscape. It sat all alone, no other businesses were built around it and it didn't seem to be a very busy road — there were hardly any cars that passed when you stopped to take a good look.

"So, this is what you were on the phone about this morning," you mused, looking around at the overgrown gardens and broken windows.

"Yep," Joel said, eyes scanning the building like he had sonar. "Roof's cavin' in. Gotta have extensive water damage in there. Been vacant for almost two years, guess it got hit by some bad storm and the owner didn't have the funds to repair it."

"It's small," you pointed out.

Joel nodded.

"It is."

"It would be a much smaller lot than any of your other hotels."

"It would."

You sighed and looked back towards the street, back where you had just came.

"It's a good area, though," you continued. Joel turned to look at you. "There's a bunch of really nice stores and restaurants within walking distance. Coffee, too. Probably more if we had walked the other way."

Joel smirked proudly. "You got a good eye."

"Well, I learned from the best." You gave him a teasing look and he laughed.

A beat of silence passed between you as you each considered all the factors that went into opening a new hotel.

"I got a vision," Joel said, cutting into your thoughts. Your gaze drifted from the dilapidated building to his sparkling brown eyes. He had that look he always got whenever he had a good idea. "It'll only be maybe three stories. Not too many rooms. Exclusive. Designed for extremely special occasions. Beyond five star service. White glove, black tie... every single person who steps through the door will have every need tended to 'fore they can even think it."

"So, it'll be a new brand," you supplied. Joel thought it over for half a second.

"Yeah. I like that. An off-shoot of the main hotel chain. It's got the potential to spread to other locations. A... romantic flair."

"Like a line of hotels and service catered exclusively to honeymooners?" you questioned, tilting your head playfully to the side. "Wherever did you get that idea?"

Joel grinned and pulled you closer. "What can I say? This trip's been inspiring."

You tipped your chin up so he could brush his lips delicately over yours.

"Alright," you whispered. His arm slinked around your middle, hand resting innocently enough on your ass.

"Alright, what?"

"Alright... it's a good idea," you conceded. Joel's smile grew so wide that you found yourself matching it. Then you held up a singular finger in warning. "But we'll talk about it when we get back. No more work talk for the next few days. It's been vacant for two years, it'll still be vacant in a week."

"Agreed," he said immediately, releasing you so he could take your hand and lead you back toward town. The sun was setting and the area was growing dark.

"You'll have to figure out how we can get street lights here," you told him, wagging a finger at the dark street behind you. "And proper signage for the intersection. No one's gonna know where this place is if it's hidden."

"Thought you said no more work talk?" Joel teased. You pinched him in the side and he gasped in pain, giving you a feigned look of distress that had you giggling.

"You inspired me. You tend to have that effect."

His expression softened a bit before he said, "So do you. You inspire me every single day."

And the way he was looking at you didn't have you doubting him for a second.

Downstairs, you could hear Joel pacing around the great room while he spoke on the phone with Sarah. It was the first time both of you had been out of town while Sarah was in school, and it had him a little concerned. You knew she was a good kid and wouldn't do anything stupid, but Joel was adjusting to being a father at his own pace, and sometimes that meant he worried about things he probably didn't need to worry about.

Still, you found it endearing. You liked that he cared so much. It was a good quality to have, especially considering Sarah's mother lacked that particular skill. It was good practice for him too, since you were trying exceptionally hard to have a baby of your own.

Which lead you to where you were hiding: in the massive walk-in closet, anxiously fiddling with the straps of the very intricate and very expensive bridal lingerie you had bought and snuck into your suitcase without Joel's knowledge. You saved it for your last day in Greece, because, why not?

At the time, the outfit seemed like a fun idea, but now that you were staring at your reflection in the floor length mirror, you were wondering if you could really pull it off. The pure white, thigh-high stockings were what pulled you in when you saw it displayed in the store, and you did really love them: the silk lace trim sat perfectly on your legs, right at the halfway point between your knees and hips. But the satin bodice that cinched your waist and pushed up your breasts until they looked like they were overflowing made you hesitate.

It was unlike anything you had ever worn before. You hardly recognized yourself as you did a slow turn, eyes widening when you caught a good glimpse at your backside — the matching white lace thong hardly covered anything at all. When you bent forward to slip on a pair of white heels, you winced. The corset was tight and impossible to do much in other than stand.

Maybe it was too much.

Just as you were considering changing entirely, you heard Joel wrapping up his conversation with Sarah on the floor below. We'll be home late tomorrow. Love you, stay outta trouble.

You panicked and shoved your feet blindly into your shoes with your heart thundering in your chest. The sudden rush made you dizzy and you tried to take a deep breath, but the goddamn corset was too constricting.

Joel called your name from the stairs, causing you to freeze like a deer in headlights.

"You gonna be ready to leave in an hour?" he asked from what you guessed was halfway up the steps.

You frowned. "Wh-what's in an hour?"

"That dinner reservation. Remember? The one up on the hill so we can watch the sun set over the city?"

Fuck. You forgot.

His voice was clearer. He was in the bedroom. You glanced down once more, making sure you didn't look completely ridiculous.

"Where—"

You looked up and your eyes locked with Joel, who was frozen in place at the mouth of the closet, just staring.

You swallowed tightly.

"I forgot about dinner," you whispered, fidgeting nervously with the edge of your bodice. But the way his gaze roamed so slowly over your body, taking in every inch of your skin like he was committing it to memory, like he was afraid to even blink, had all those nerves receding. His gaze was heavy. You felt its weight, like it was pulling you under. And the longer he stared, the darker his eyes became.

"Baby..."

His voice broke. His throat bobbed. One hand quickly came up to grasp the doorframe, like he was about to fall over.

"You like it?" you asked with a grin. That was when you noticed the redness creeping up past his collar.

His eyes flickered up to yours briefly before drifting back down and lingering on your chest. Then, his hand rose from his side. He lifted one finger in the air and he drew a little circle, wordlessly asking you to turn, so you did.

A deep groan rumbled in his chest and before you could make a full circle, his hands were on you. With a gasp followed by a giggle, you reached out to grab the mirror and steady yourself.

"Y'look so fuckin' good," he rasped, voice thick and rough behind your shoulder. But when you titled your chin to look at him, he was gone. A second later, his mouth was dragging fast, messy kisses up the back of your thigh until he reached the curve of your ass. His teeth sunk into your flesh with just the right amount of pressure to make your hips jump, but his hands were there to keep you firmly in place.

"Jesus Christ," he practically whined. You could see him in the mirror behind you, on his knees. His hands skirted down each leg, marveling at the softness of your sheer stockings before he focused back on the apex of your thighs, where your thong was just barely covering your pulsing cunt.

"I take it you like it?"

You watched his gaze dart up your back, jaw slack.

"Smart idea, keepin' this from me til now," he said darkly. Your skin began to prickle at the tone of his voice. "Never woulda let you step foot outta this house if I knew."

He stood quickly and spun you around. He went to pick you up, but you had to stop him with a firm hand to his chest.

"There's just one problem."

The face he gave you looked like he was in physical pain, but he slowed down and forced his hands back to his sides. You grinned sheepishly up at him and said, "I can't bend in this thing."

With a lopsided smirk, Joel cupped your face.

"Is that all?"

You nodded and he gave you a little sympathetic pout.

"Was plannin' on rippin' this off you, anyway," he mumbled right before his mouth crashed with yours in a heated kiss.

Instead of picking you up, he began to walk you backwards, towards the bedroom, with one hand on your cheek and the other on your lower back. When your thighs hit the edge of the bed, he tore himself away, leaving you breathless.

If you felt awkward for the way you stiffly flopped backwards onto the bed, it was only for a moment because the way Joel was looking at you while he began to tear off his shirt and pants had you feeling like a goddamn supermodel.

"I had a whole thing I was gonna do," you giggled when the last of his clothes fell to the floor with the exception of his boxers, which were doing absolutely nothing to hide his erection.

"Oh, baby," he breathed, palming himself once before resting both hands on your calves and slowly dragging them up, over your stockings and past your hips. "You're so fuckin' beautiful. I'm the luckiest son'a bitch alive."

Your face warmed from the compliment but he didn't notice because Joel lunged forward, resting all his weight on both his forearms, and began to mouth hungrily at your tits spilling over the top of your lingerie.

Your eyelids fluttered closed and your hands raised to grab onto his shoulders, soaking up the heat of his body and the love he was pouring over you with every passing second.

His mouth ghosted over every inch of skin he could find as you melted into the mattress. There were a thousand reasons why you knew Joel was the man you wanted to spend your life with, one of them being no other person on earth has ever made you feel so loved and cherished the way he had, and that day was no exception.

"I love this, but you mind if I take it off now?" His fingers toyed restlessly with the satin strings that laced up the back. "'Cause I really want you to ride me, baby, 'n I don't want you feelin' uncomfortable."

You nodded, still lost in the way he breathed you in while his hands grabbed and squeezed every part of you he could. It wasn't until the strings loosened up and the corset opened that you realized how tight it really was. You dragged in a deep breath and squirmed around a bit in relief, letting Joel remove the top part of your lingerie so you could finally move freely again.

"These stay on," he told you, gliding his hand down your silky stockings. He smirked and looked at your heels. "Those, too."

"Whatever you want," you said, grinning when his eyes flashed hungrily down at you.

"Whatever I want?" he repeated. His voice dropped so low it sounded like a growl. You sunk your teeth into your bottom lip and nodded. A heartbeat later, Joel scooped you up and rolled you both over so you were straddling his hips. You let out a breathless giggle and yelped when he swatted sharply at your ass.

"Go on, then," he said, tucking his arms behind his head with a cocky smile. "You want it so bad? Take it."

You didn't need to be told twice.

You got to work tugging his boxers down his legs while he watched you, bare breasts swaying as you moved. When you finished, you slowly crawled back up his body, smiling devilishly as you went. When you reached his hips, your eyes dropped to his cock, laying rock hard and leaking against his stomach. It was too irresistible — you leaned down and licked a broad stripe up the length of him, moaning softly when your tongue collected a bead of precum.

"Fuck," he whispered, dark eyes pinned to your every move. His arms still remained behind his head but you could see his biceps twitching, showing his restraint. The idea of him struggling to hold himself back had a jolt of arousal shooting through you, so you did it again, only that time you wrapped your lips around his tip and swirled your tongue around his girth.

You glanced up at him through your lashes, still sucking gently on the head of his cock. His jaw dropped and his eyes squeezed shut until finally one arm reached out and stopped you. His cock slid from your lips and you gasped.

"Quit fuckin' 'round 'fore I come down your throat."

You batted your lashes at him. "But you taste so good."

He groaned and yanked you up so he could plunge his tongue into your mouth for a taste. You didn't want to rush, but you were so wet that the pinch between your legs almost hurt. It seemed Joel needed it just as badly as you because a moment later, his hand snuck down to cup your ass and lift you up while his mouth continued to pry your jaw open wide. With one finger, he pulled the lace thong to the side, grunting his approval into your mouth when he swiped through the wet fabric.

"Joel—" you whimpered when the blunt tip of his cock nudged at your opening. He bit at your lower lip and gave your ass another harsh smack.

"Sit on it."

You dropped your hips at his command, taking just a few inches inside you with a wet gasp. Your head rolled back with a low moan at the stretch. Joel's mouth dragged down your cheek, then his nose nudged at your jaw, forcing you to tilt your head so he could have full access to your throat. You bit down on your lip with a whine as you lowered yourself further, taking more and more of him inside your aching cunt until your hips grew flush.

You sighed with relief and let your body sag against his for a second: chest to chest, with his soft lips ghosting over your neck, then collarbone, then shoulder, like he couldn't decide where to kiss first.

His teeth grazed your skin when you began to move. Slowly, at first. Just shallow lifts of your hips. But then it felt too good, so you chased after the feeling with faster bounces until your arms were draped loosely around his neck and his face was buried between your tits.

He murmured how beautiful you were, how much he loved you, how — if he could — he would marry you all over again, only much sooner. His arms circled your waist and held you close while you continued to bounce on his lap, chasing your high with each exquisite drag of his cock. It was hard to remember a time when you felt as safe and loved and cherished as you did when you were with him. There were no walls, no safeguards, nothing. You both were just laid bare to one another. It was probably why you were able to come so quickly, with a sharp little moan and a stutter of your hips while Joel left love bites all across your chest. His big hands dropped to your ass, helping you move up and down while you rode out your climax and didn't let go until you slumped forward with a sigh.

He didn't let you rest for long. In the blink of an eye, he had you flipped onto your back, cock still buried deep inside you. Your eyes flew open just as he was tossing one leg over his shoulder. He spread out your other one across the comforter, widening your hips so he could start to fuck you harder, just the way he wanted.

"Oh, fu-uck baby, y'look so good like this," he stammered. His glassy eyes were glued to your bare chest, tits bouncing with every one of his thrusts, then his gaze dropped between your legs, where your now ruined white thong was still pushed off to the side as he railed into you, over and over. His palm drifted up the silken stocking covering your leg. He mouthed at the inside of your knee before he pushed your leg closer to your chest, then kissed your ankle. Your foot still dangled over his shoulder, white heel bouncing wildly just behind his head as he fucked you like his life depended on it.

"Need you to come f'me again," he told you before dropping your leg and falling forward, caging you in. You shook your head and writhed under him. You were so sensitive that it almost hurt, but then he nipped at your chin, forcing your attention back onto his face.

"You gotta come, baby. Gotta — shit — gotta come, o-okay? N-Need this pretty little pussy to s-suck me dry."

He was falling over his words. He was close, you knew that. He was minutes away from his own orgasm. He didn't need you to come to get there, but he liked it. He preferred it. And so did you. So you rocked your hips forward in rhythm with his, ground your clit against the coarse hairs at the base of his cock, and mumbled in his ear that you wanted his baby, that you wanted it to stick, that you wanted to be full of him so everyone would see how good he took care of you.

Everyone would see how much he loved you.

Your own words lit a fire inside you. Every groan and whispered fantasy had pressure building fast and hot between your legs until Joel stopped slamming into you and started rolling his hips, deep and hard so he could reach that spot that had your vision blurring with tears and your throat going raw.

Like clockwork, you fell apart for him, body spasming and voice breaking over his name intertwined with curses and whines. A few more rough thrusts later had him grabbing onto your hip and going still, spilling himself deep inside you with a ragged groan.

"Look how good you did," he panted while shallowly thrusting in and out of your soaked pussy. You tiredly looked down between your bodies, where his cum was leaking out around his cock and staining your panties. He laughed when you rolled your eyes and let your head fall backwards onto the bed, completely spent.

He eased out of you with a grunt, then helped close your trembling legs before flopping onto the bed beside you. He rolled onto his side and his eyes slid shut while you both quietly caught your breath, but then his hand came to wordlessly rest on your lower stomach, fingers spread wide and protective, and your throat tightened.

"What about dinner?" you asked sleepily. Joel inhaled slow and deep, then curled his body around yours with his hand still stretched across your stomach.

"We'll figure somethin' else out," was all he said.

You hummed and rolled to face him. Your leg slotted naturally between his and he tucked you under his chin, like your bodies have done countless times before. As you laid there in silence, you realized it was the first time you weren't thinking about whether or not it worked. You knew no matter what — whether you got pregnant one day or not — you would be happy, because you would always have Joel, and he was enough.

What started out as a hypothetical idea quickly turned into reality when you returned home from your honeymoon. Joel managed to purchase the abandoned hotel in Greece much faster than expected, and at an outrageously good price. With how quickly things were moving, a company wide meeting was called that morning to announce the new acquisition and the plans to expand into a new line of hotels, just like you had discussed. It had the whole place buzzing with excitement everywhere you turned. The Parador: Premier was the tentative name, just a way to refer to the new project in meetings, but it was beginning to really stick.

Needless to say, work was insane. For the past week you found yourself waiting for Joel outside his office for over an hour at the end of each day, and even when he finished up and you drove home, he tended to work in his study until well after you fell asleep.

It was hard to get any time alone with him, but you actually had a legitimate meeting on the books for once, so you knew you would finally have his undivided attention for an hour.

Well. Technically the meeting was between Joel and your boss, Caroline. But she ended up having a meeting go over and asked you to take her place, instead.

Something told you Joel wouldn't mind.

Even if it was an hour of work, you were still looking forward to spending some time with your very busy and very focused husband as you rode the elevator up to the top floor, where all the executive offices and biggest conference rooms were kept.

You felt a little rush of excitement as you walked across the floor, past the executive conference room, towards Joel's corner office. Chrissy, Joel's receptionist, and Liam, his personal assistant, sat at their respective desks on either side of his door looking bored. When Liam noticed you heading their way, he brightened up and stood to give you a hug.

"His schedule is stacked today," Liam warned you, stepping back to glance at his computer screen.

"I'm taking Caroline's place," you explained, leaning against the edge of his desk and giving Chrissy a friendly wave.

"Oh, thank god," she breathed, "I thought you were going to ask us to find time, and..." her eyes flickered to her own monitor and she scrolled down with a heavy exhale. "Yeah. You get it."

Liam nodded to the pile of folders in your arms. "Is that the ad feedback?"

"Yep," you said proudly, tapping the top folder. "He'll be happy, don't worry."

Just then, Joel's door swung open and Ross, the CFO, walked out mid-chuckle.

"Alright, Joel. We'll see you at four," he said, reaching just past the doorframe where Joel must have been standing to shake his hand. When Ross walked out and saw you, he gave you a wink. "How're you doing, sweetheart?"

"Good, Ross, thanks," you smiled as he walked by. Joel must have heard your voice because a moment later, he appeared in the door with a look of surprise.

"Hey, sorry..." He looked down at the watch Sarah gifted him and grimaced. "I got a meeting—"

"With me," you finished for him. You pushed off Liam's desk and waltzed past him, into his office. "Caroline couldn't make it. I have the focus group feedback you wanted," you added over your shoulder as you made your way to the chair opposite his desk. You heard the door close as you fixed your skirt, then giggled when you felt the tickle of his beard against your neck when he gave you a kiss on the cheek from behind.

"What a nice surprise," he said softly before flattening his tie and rounding his desk. He crossed his legs and gave you a tired smile. "Can we rush the work shit so I can just admire my wife for the rest of the hour?"

"Deal," you said with a grin before handing him the first folder. He opened it up and scanned the pages while you gave him the bullet points of the first ad. By the time you got to the fifth and final one, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Yeah?" Joel called without looking up. Liam opened the door with a heavy looking box in his arms.

"Sorry to disturb you both," he said, walking towards the bar in the back of the room. "But I thought since you were both here it would be good timing — the case of wine you bought from Greece just arrived."

"Oh, I almost forgot about that," you murmured.

"That's great, you can leave it right there," he told Liam with a wave of his hand. "We'll take most of it home."

You pressed your lips together as Joel continued to review the final folder. Behind you, Liam excused himself and the door clicked shut.

"This is good," Joel finally said. Then he closed the folder and looked up at you. "What're you thinkin'?"

"I like the first and fourth ones the most," you shrugged. "One heartfelt, one funny. They both resonated with all age groups, too."

Joel nodded and pushed the pile of folders back in your direction. "I agree. Let's pull the trigger and start casting."

"Great," you said, glancing at the clock behind him. Now that work was done, you could feel the butterflies begin to stir up in your stomach.

"Should we open one of those later tonight? Celebrate?" he asked, chin jutting in the direction of the wine Liam left on top of the bar. You glanced behind you and bit your lip.

"Uh, maybe."

Joel heard the hesitance in your voice and when you didn't meet his eye, he sighed and stood up. "Listen. I'm sorry it's been crazy lately, but it'll quiet down soon, I promise."

"I know, it's okay—" You began to assure him, but he cut you off, perching on the edge of his desk directly in front of you.

"No, it ain't. We've hardly spent any time together the past month since we've been home 'n I'm gonna make it up to you. Hell," he chuckled, crossing his ankles one over the other. "We'll probably end up spendin' alotta time in Greece over the next year. Y'know, to oversee Tommy and the crew while they knock down the old place—"

"Joel—"

"And I know what you're gonna say," he said, not catching the way you had to hide your smirk behind your hand.

"I can almost promise you, you don't."

"—and I ain't gonna work the whole ti— wait, what?"

He gave you a confused look, hand paused mid-air as he stared at you curiously. Slowly, you stood up and took both his hands.

"I finally figured out where we can put that pink seashell wind chime you hate."

His eyebrows furrowed and he blinked. "What?" he asked again. You squeezed his hands and swallowed the lump in your throat before reaching for the last folder you had kept hidden on your lap.

"Open it."

Joel took it from your hands, eyes flickering back and forth between the file and you before slowly opening it up. You watched his face morph from utter confusion to complete disbelief in a matter of seconds.

"Is— Is this...?"

"Yeah," you nodded with tears in your eyes. With shaky hands, he lowered the folder so you could both look at the black and white ultrasound pictures. "I'm pregnant."

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